Centre allocates Rs 805 crore to intensify fight against Anemia: Minister informs Parliament

Written by Medical Dialogues Team Published On 2025-04-06T15:00:16+05:30 | Updated On 6 April 2025 3:00 PM IST

Anemia Mukt Bharat, Indias Vision for a Healthier Future

New Delhi: The Government of India has rolled out the Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy aimed at reducing anaemia prevalence among children, adolescents, pregnant women, and lactating mothers, as informed by the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Smt Anupriya Patel, during a recent session of the Rajya Sabha.

A major aspect of the AMB campaign is the fortification of rice with essential micronutrients like iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12. The Government, through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme, and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, distributes fortified rice to people in need. By March 2024, the Government aims to replace all custom-milled rice with fortified rice under these schemes.

To support the AMB strategy, the Government has allocated substantial funds. In the Financial Year 2024-25, Rs 805.91 Crores have been allocated to various States and Union Territories under the National Health Mission (NHM) to implement activities related to the AMB programme.

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The minister was responding to the questions raised by Ms. Indu Bala Goswami about whether the Government plans to run a special campaign to eliminate anaemia; She asked if so, the details thereof;

She sought to know the details of the amount allocated by the Government for the said special anaemia campaign, and also wanted to know whether the Government plans to create a supply chain to deliver fortified rice to the needy people under the anaemia special campaign;, and

Furthermore, she inquired whether there is any plan to establish a lab to check the quality of fortified rice, and the details thereof.

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Responding to these queries, the minister informed that the Government of India implements Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy to reduce prevalence of anemia among children and women including pregnant women and lactating mothers in life cycle approach through implementation of six interventions ,which are Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid supplementation (IFA Syrup provided biweekly to children 6-59 months, IFA Pink tablets provided to children 5-9 years, IFA Blue tablets provided to Adolescent 10-19 years, IFA Red tablets provided weekly to Women of Reproductive age group and IFA Red tablets daily for 180 days provided to pregnant women and lactating mothers), Deworming (Pregnant women provided albendazole tablet in second trimester and all children provided albendazole tablets during National Deworming Day), Intentisified Behavioral Change Communication campaign, Testing for anemia and treatment as per anemia management protocols, mandatory provision of IFA fortified food in public health programmes and addressing non nutritional causes of anemia especially malaria, flourosis and hemoglobinopathies via robust institutional mechanism.

The States are provided funds by the National Health Mission based on the proposals received in their Annual Programme Implementation Plans. Under NHM, for the FY 2024-25, Rs 805.91 Crores have been allocated to the States/UTs to implement various activities under the Anemia Mukt Bharat programme.

As per information received from the Department of Food and Public Distribution, the Government supplies fortified rice enriched with essential micronutrients such as Iron, Folic acid, Vitamin B12, through Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) scheme, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) in all States/UTs to tackle micronutrient deficiencies. The Rice Fortification initiative was scaled up in a phased manner, and by March 2024, all custom-milled rice had been replaced with fortified rice in every scheme of the government.

As per information received, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has issued a list of FSSAI-notified laboratories, approved particularly for testing of fortificants (Iron, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin B9) in Fortified Rice, Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK), and Premix for Fortified Rice Kernels. The number of laboratories notified for Fortified Rice, Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK), and Premix for Fortified Rice Kernels is fifty-seven, thirty five and fifteen, respectively, the minister added.

Anemia Mukt BharatRajya SabhaAnupriya Patel

Medical Dialogues Team